A sanctuary for supporters of sexual free expression and the adult sexual media.

Monday, August 29, 2011

HIV Porn Scare 2011 Redux: Rumor, Speculation, And Fact

[Now also crossposted over at LukeIsBack.com; Domo Obligato to Cindi Loftus for the honor and pleasure. ]

Like I figured, developments are breaking fast on the news today of a performer having been tested positive for HIV. Thusly, it's important to understand that rumors and speculation about the identity of the performer, how (s)he got infected, whom (if any) else may have been compromised, and the nature of how this occurred, should be treated as just that: rumors and speculation, until more information is offered.

Nevertheless, there are some conclusions that can be made even in this early time, based on the preliminary info trickling out.

First off: it does appear that the targeted performer was allegedly shooting content in Florida using a testing service that was out of the loop of the testing regimen established by the Free Speech Coalition's APHSS services. Remember that when AIM-ORG was run out of business by the combined efforts of Cal/OSHA and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, it's consensus testing procedure was effectively obliterated, leaving the task to several smaller and much less standardized companies (such as Talent Testing Services), which did not have the extensive resources for follow-up testing and verification that AIM had. Many performers had feared that in their zeal to shut down AIM and impose the condom mandate and their own system of weaker testing procedures, AHF and Cal/OSHA was essentially creating much more risk for active performers by driving them into less safe venues and shadier groups more interested in exploitation than safety. Since Florida until now has not had the institutionalized and standardized testing regimen that LA had with AIM, the inevitable results could have been easily predicted.

Secondly....it is no grand irony that the last three HIV porn scares have taken place outside of LA; the 2010 scare featuring Cameron Reid/Derrick Burts was also the byproduct of a Florida shoot; and the 2009 "Patient Zero" panic was based in Las Vegas. Well, maybe it is somewhat of an irony, considering all the hard work and resources that AHF has put into browbeating the city of LA, Los Angeles County, and the state of California into imposing the condom mandate for shoots in LA. Though Weinstein has made noises about imposing similar regulations in Florida, he hasn't worked up anywhere near the effort or the concern about "performer safety" there. Maybe the South Beach politicos are too rich to bribe??

Thirdly...the lightning response by APHSS in not only confronting and containing the panic, but also getting out in front in public with warnings and suggestions on performers protecting themselves, says a great deal for their professionalism and concern about seriously protecting the talent. It also speaks to the advantage of having a standardized system of testing and treatment, rather than a hodge-podge ad-hoc system where testing is basically left to whomever is closest at the moment. Many who claimed that AIM had an "monopoly" on performer testing completely ignored the main reason why that was so: their regimen worked. Yes, there were two cases of performers getting infected, but in both cases they were not infected from a porn shoot (and in the case of Derrick Burts, the shoot was for a gay video, which is outside of AIM's jurisdiction), and in both cases the threat was contained to that particular performer. Hopefully, that will be the foundation that APHSS will build on....that is, if AHF and Cal/OSHA would allow them to.

Finally...I'm pretty sure that Mike Weinstein is already preparing his next press conference as I type this, where he and Ministress Lubben shed their usual crocodile tears about how this poor young woman (yes, I'm assuming again; If I'm wrong, then I'm the ass...so sue me) had her life taken away from her by the Big, Bad, Mean Porn Industry. (Hell, I even expect them to add Gail Dines to the lecturn to add her quarter's worth about how this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt how porn chews up women for The Patriarchy.) If the concept of shame ever invaded the Teflon-coated synapses of their brains, they would hopefully think twice about exploiting her..but then again, if Lubben and Weinstein had thought twice about almost anything, they wouldn't have the publicity and the money they had, right??

Just my personal thoughts, Clones. Consume with the usual sprinkle of salt and Tony Chachere's seasoning.

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Why yes, this blog is dedicated to pro-porn activism! With the belief that pornography falls under the auspices free speech and expression, and is legitimate entertainment for consenting adults, if made for and by consenting adults. One, as a consenting adult, has the right to make and view pornography as they choose.